Photographic copying apparatus

ABSTRACT

A pocket size copying apparatus is described which is moved over the original during the copying cycle. A control system, built-in into the apparatus makes the light output of the light source independent of the speed by which the apparatus is advanced over the original. The apparatus may be advantageously equipped with a built-in developing station so that ready usable copies may be obtained within seconds.

United States Patent [191 Roosen [451 May 20, 1975 1 PHOTOGRAPHIC COPYING APPARATUS [76] inventorf Raymond Albert Roosen,

B2232s-Gravenwezel, Parklaan 12, Belgium 22 Filed: Aug. 9, 1973 211 Appl. No.: 386,889

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 18, 1973 United Kingdom 37453/73 [52] U.S. Cl. 355/100; 355/99; 355/84 [51] Int. Cl. G03b 27/30 [58] Field of Search 355/78, 83, 84, 97, 99,

[56] 1 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,840,351 1/1932 Douden 96/39 X 3,056,904 10/1962 KOtZ et a1. 355/106 X 3,073,234 1/1963 Roganti 355/84 X 3,085,488 4/1963 l-leiart 355/100 3,584,955 6/1971 Stievenant 355/84 3,778,140 12/1973 Land 352/130 Primary Examiner-Richard M. Sheer Attorney, Agent, or FirmWilliam J. Daniel [57] ABSTRACT 6 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PIJENTEU W 2 @1975 SHEET 10F 6 FIG.

Q Q Q PATENIED 3 884,578

SHEET 30F 6 Fig. 5

PATENTED MAY 2 01975 SHEET 5 BF 6 Fig. 8

PATENIEB MAY 20 [975 SHEET 6 BF 6 PHOTOGRAPI-IIC COPYING APPARATUS This invention is concerned with copying apparatus. More particularly, the invention relates to copying apparatus which makes use of the reflex exposure method.

Reflex copying consists in bringing the original to be copied into intimate contact with a radiation sensitive layer of a recording material and subsequently exposing the so-formed sandwich through the back of the recording material. After exposure, the recording material is subjected to a chemical or physical treatment so that an illegible image of the original is obtained, which may either serve as a copy when the recording material is provided with a transparent support so that the reading may occur through the back, or which is used as an original in order to obtain legible copy upon performing a second reflex exposure or which acts as a medium which may be wholly or partly transferred onto a support.

Copying systems are generally based on photographic or thermographic phenomena. Thermographic copying methods make use of the Infra-red absorbing qualities of printing inks whereas photographic systems are based on the difference in light reflectance between the (generally light) background and the information the latter bears. The amount of light reflected by said background causes the creation of a so-called latent image in the photo-sensitive'silver halide layer which may serve as a catalyst for further chemical treatment to render the latent image visible.

Silver halide photosensitive materials may be of the conventional type, or belong to the so-called activation-stabilisation materials, the print-out materials or the diffusion transfer reversal type materials. The apparatus described in this specification is able to expose copying materials of the thermographic or photographic type, although for each type of corresponding recording materials small adaptations as to the power of the light source and/or the capacity of the power supply station, are to be carried out.

Copying methods become very attractive when the copying process itself makes use of apparatus which is capable of performing the exposure and/or the subsequent treatment in a more or less automatic way. So apparatus were designed which attained a high degree of convenience after a few years in that they become smaller in size, portable, and were provided with regulating devices which allowed constant results, notwithstanding fluctuations either in the voltage at which they operate or in the inherent qualities of the recording materials themselves. Said voltage may be delivered by the mains or by an internal power supply.

Until now, all copying apparatus were constructed for treating the most current formats of originals so that the materials to be treated were at least of quartoformat.

Object of the invention now is to provide an apparatus by means of which small-sized originals may be copied which is of pocket-size and which allows the making of copies of an original in situ.

By way of example, in what follows an apparatus is described which is particularly intended for use in combination with diffusion transfer reversal copying materials, although small adaptations render it suitable for other copying methods.

According to the invention there is provided a copying apparatus comprising a housing in which there is a holder for a strip or web of radiation-sensitive recording material, a source of electromagnetic radiation, a strip-driving means including at least one rotatable element which can be rotated by frictional contact with a surface bearing matter to be copied as the copying apparatus is advanced over that surface and which thereby advances said strip through an exposure zone where it is irradiated by said radiation from said source and is in contact with said surface, and exposure control means which functions in dependance on the speed of rotation of said rotatable element thereby to control the output of said radiation source so that the output thereof per unit time is dependent on the speed of advance and so that the speed can be varied substantially without altering the total exposure of a given length of said recording material strip.

For a better understanding of the nature and possibilities of the apparatus according to the invention same will be described by way of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 represents a longitudinal section of a preferred embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention,

FIG. 2a shows a detail of the light source, together with the pulse triggers,

FIG. 2b represents a side view of the pulse triggers,

FIG. 3 represents a block-diagram of the powersupply for the light source,

FIG. 4 is a preferred embodiment of the blockdiagram of FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 shows a preferred embodiment of a processing cartridge to be used'in combination with an apparatus according to the invention,

FIG. 6 illustrates the use of the apparatus during exposure,

FIG. 7 illustrates the use of the apparatus during processing,

FIG. 8 represents another preferred embodiment of the invention,

FIGS. 9a and 9b illustrate another developing station used advantageously in combination with the invention respectively in stand-by and in operating position,

FIG. 10 shows a section view of photosensitive material which may be used advantageously in combination with the apparatus according to the invention.

The apparatus 10, represented in FIG. 1 comprises a light-tight housing 1 designed for containing the necessary mechanical parts and electric devices. A supply reel 2 is loaded with photosensitive material 3 with its light-sensitive coating outside. Said photosensitive material 3 is conveyed by frictional contact with a wheel 30 (see FIG. 2a) through a channel 7 in front of a source of illumination 4 when the apparatus moves on an original to be copied 5 in a sense indicated by arrow 6. After exposure, said photosensitive material 3 is fed into a second channel 8 and guided onto a take-up reel 9. The source of illumination 4 consists of a battery of small incandescent lamps 11 which are positioned behind a diffusing window 12. The source of illumination is spring-biased mounted in a box 13 by means of a compression spring 14 which at one end is fixed on the cap of a small spindle 15 and at the other end urges against a small crank 16 connected to the housing of the light source. A couple of wires 17 provide the electric power from the pulse forming device 18 to the lamps 11. The energy, necessary to render the apparatus operable is supplied by an external circuit (not shown) through the wires 19 to a transformer 20 which is connected by the wires 21 to a solid state rectifier 22 feeding the pulse-forming device 18 through the wires 23. A small DC-battery 24 suspended in a clip 25 is connected through wires 26 with a triggering device (see FIGS. 2 a and 2b), whereas pulse shaped signals, generated by said device are fed to the pulse forming device 18 by means of wires 27.

FIG. 2a represents a bottom-view of the light source, together with the triggering device, which is shown in more detail in FIG. 2b.

The photosensitive material 3, when entering the tunnel 8, passes in front of a battery of small incandescent lamps 11 which are positioned in staggered configuration. The housing 1 is supported by wheels 30 which are fixedly joined to each other by means of a shaft 37.

In FIG. 2b is shown a schematic representation of a triggering device. On wheel 30 which rides over the original during copying in a direction indicated by the arrow 33 is fixedly joined a second wheel 31 of smaller diameter which carries a number of magnetic strips 32. The magnetic field emanating from said strips is capable of attracting a terminal 35 which is made of magnetizable material and which, upon attraction by said strips 32, is touched by a second terminal 36, so that a contact, formed by the pair of terminals 35, 36 may be closed. Contact 35, 36 is part of a circuit consisting of a DC-battery and a resistor. After the passage of the strips 32, the contact re-opens and the cycle can be started again. An electric conductor guides the pulseshaped signals, produced by the opening and closing of the contact towards a pulse forming device 18. In the center of wheel 30 is provided an opening to fit a shaft 37, the latter being fixedly joined to an analogous wheel on the other side of the apparatus, whereby a shifting of the apparatus is prevented during exposure. Optionally, the wheel 31 may be connected to wheel 30 by means of a device capable of lowering or rising the pulse frequency. For convenient operation of the apparatus locking means may be provided in order to avoid reverse rotation of the wheels 30 and consequent double exposure.

FIG. 3 represents a block diagram of the electric circuit necessary to make the apparatus operable. The apparatus comprises a triggering device 40, a pulseforming circuit 41, a pulse width regulating circuit 42 and a light-source 43. Optionally a photo-responsive sensor 44 may be provided. The design of and the power delivered by the pulse-forming circuit 41 depends largely on the qualities of the light-source 43 itself. If the latter consists of incandescent lamps said pulse-forming circuit will be a one-step multivibrator, the pulse width of which may be regulated, determining the period during which a solid state power switch or a relay conducts external electric power towards the lamps. If the light source is formed by a strip of electroluminescent material, requiring a rather low power, a conventional oscillator, working at a frequency of e.g. between 1 and 5 kilocycles/sec. and being periodically blocked through action of a one-step multivibrator which is controlled by a pulse width regulating device 42 suffices. A gas-filled tube, e.g. such as a tube based on a Xenon arc discharge, as it is the case in flash units as used in conventional photography, will require a small capacitor battery, charged by a high-frequent rectified signal and a circuitry able to regulate the ignition time from H500 to l/50,000 sec. whereas a small fluorescent tube may be excited by a conventional means as it is the case for incandescent lamps. Also light-emitting diodes, triggered by a one-step multivibrator emitting diodes, triggered by a one-step multivibrator may be used.

All the afore-mentioned combinations may be completed by a photo-responsive sensing device 44 which exerts a supplementary action on the pulse width regulating circuit 42 and/or the power measuring the reflectance of the support of the original to be copied, so that the quantity of light, released at each pulse, depends on the background permitting the right exposure as a function of the colour or quality of the paper stock.

A preferred embodiment of an electric diagram suited for use in combination with an incandescent lamp is given in FIG. 4. The circuitessentially consists of a one-step multivibrator, the width of the pulse generated by the latter being adjustable in time and being able to control a power output stage which may consist of a power transistor 65 and a relay 66 or a thyristor (not shown). In the diagram the one-step multivibrator consists of transistors and 61 which have their emittors commonly connected to a resistor 62. Transistor 61 will be normally conducting, in this way conferring a positive potential to the base of transistor 60. So, when positive pulses are produced by the pulse generator, formed by the battery 24, contact 35,36, resistor 63 and capacitor 64 and said pulses being injected in the base of transistor 61, the latter will reach its cut-off level causing the collector-voltage to become more negative. This voltage is transmitted to the base of transistor 60 and the latter becomes conducting at a given moment. Also transistor 65 will become conducting and energizes relay 66, so that upon the closing of contact 67, the ignition of lamp 11 is started. This unstable situation is automatically reset when the voltage on capacitor 68 reaches a value sufficient to bring transistor 61 out of the cut-off state again. The time necessary to perform this step is controlled by the circuit consisting of capacitor 68 and the resistors 69 and 70, the latter being variable.

' When transistor 61 becomes conducting again, also relay 66 is de-energized as transistor 65 reaches its cutoff voltage. By an adequate choice of the value of resistors 69 and 70, the pulse width may be varied within wide ranges.

The development of the exposed paper requires the use of a highly alkaline activator solution, which has to be spread uniformly over the light-sensitive surface. This may be carried out by means of a small cartridge 71 as shown in FIG. 5 which can be even built-in into the apparatus. Said cartridge 71 is air-tightly sealed by means of a stopper 72 in order to prevent evaporation of volatile components causing crystallization of dissolved solid substances. It comprises a housing 73 enveloping a small container 74, filled with processing solution 75. Also is provided a partition 76 at the end of which is fixed a wick 77 which moistens the emulsion side of the exposed photosensitive material 3 passing through the channel formed by the container 74 and the shield 78 to the nip of the wick 77 and a pressure roller 79. When treating photo-sensitive material which consists of a transparent support provided with a silver halide emulsion layer and a layer in which developing nuclei are dispersed a ready-for-use image is obtained after development, which image must however be viewed thifitigh the backside.

On the contrary, when the conventional DTR- process is applied, a separate sheet 80 bearing a nuclei layer 84 has to be used and the wet negative 3 must be pressed upon it. After a few seconds both sheets are separated and a positive image is transferred to the sheet bearing the nuclei layer.

FIG. 6 shows how the apparatus is operated: the apparatus 10 is moved over an original in a direction indicated by the arrow 81. The original 5 is a sheet provided with two columns of printed text. The movement of the apparatus causes the built-in light source to ignite periodically and so to illuminate the original 5. In the meantime photosensitive material is advanced from the supply reel to the take-up reel during as long as period as the original is scanned.

An example of making a positive, in the case a negative-positive copying method is applied, is illustrated in FIG. 7. The exposed negative material 3, temporarily stocked on the take-up reel, is moistened with processing solution, conducted over the roller 79 of the built-in cartridge and pressed on a material 80 provided with a layer in which developing nuclei are dispersed. In the present case said material 80 is formed and sized as a punch card. When a sufficient length of negative material is pressed on the positive, both are kept in contact with each other for a few seconds, whereafter they are separated and a positive image is obtained on the positive by a diffusion-transfer mechanism. It is intended that instead of a system based on the use of two materials also a direct-positive system, requiring only one material bearing both the negative and the nuclei layer on a transparent support may be used (FIG. In this case positive image must be viewed through the back since reflex copying produces copies non legible to the eye.

Another preferred embodiment of a photocopying apparatus according to the invention is illustrated in FIG. 8. The apparatus differs from that of FIG. 1 in that it is completely independent from external power. For this sake batteries 24 are provided, which supplies power to the electrical circuitry and to the light source. The electric circuits which comprise the different parts illustrated in FIG. 3 are in the form of an integrated circuit power supply 18.

In this embodiment the light source 11 consists of one single tubular lamp, housed in a parabolic reflector 34, which is provided with a slit 38 for pre-exposing the photosensitive material 3, in this way contributing to a rise of photographic sensitivity of the system. The light quantity for pre-exposure may attain up to 35 percent of the total quantity necessary to produce a good copy.

A lid 39 is hingedly joined to the housing 1 by means of a hinge 45, intended to guide the photosensitive sheet material 3 out of the apparatus if only small copies are to be made. Said lid 39 may occasionally be provided with a cutting device.

In FIGS. 9a and 9b is displayed, respectively in inoperative and operative position, a developing station which may easily be incorporated in the apparatus.

In the alternative model presented, the take-up reel has been replaced by a casing 90 into which the photographic web material 3 is forwarded. The station is provided with an applicator 91, soaked with processing liquid, the latter being dispensed through a fibrous member I00 onto the web material 3 during the development stage. In inoperative position, the applicator 91 is brought into the position indicated in FIG. 9a and evaporation of the processing liquid is avoided by the provision of a protective cap 93 which completely masks the area of the applicator through which the liquid flows. In so doing, not only evaporation is eliminated but also the clogging of the fibrous material, due to crystallization of dried substance in the pores may be neglected.

When copying, the web of photographic material 3, after having passed the exposure unit comprising the light-source 11, the exposure window 12 and the reflector 34, is guided over a pair of pads 96,97, 96, 97, by the rollers 94, 95 which are slippingly driven, and forwarded into the casing 90, where it is wound-up.

Just prior to the developing of the photographic web, exposed in this way, a small pad 98 urges the web 3 against the pad 97 so that the web 3 is tightly clamped. At this moment, a small knife 99 cuts the exposed web 3 transversely, whereas the pair of rollers 94, 95 continue to rotate during one revolution, so that the trailing edge of the cut web 3 is arrested at the level of the pad 96.

When the developing cycle is to be carried out, by means of a small handle (not shown) the applicator 91 and the pad 96 collapse and the pair of rollers 94, 95 have their sense of rotation reversed, and the trailing edge of the cut web 3 is advanced into the slit 101. The tilting of the applicator 91 and pressure exerted upon members 92 cause the coating of the sensitive layer of the web 3 with processing liquid so that the web 3 leaves the apparatus in developed condition.

The generally small copies which are delivered by an apparatus according to the invention allow the application of other kinds of development systems.

When providing the photographic web 3 with a layer of microcapsules, the latter containing a developer or activator solution, instant results may be obtained as the microcapsules will rupture during exposure. Another method may consist in the use of a developer in the form of an aerosol which may be sprayed onto the photosensitive layer of the web when the latter is builtup as shown in FIG. 10. Occasionally, a white pigment may be dissolved in the aerosol, so that the negative image, lying on top of the material, completely disappears during development.

A sectional view of a photosensitive sheet material which may be advantageously used in combination with the invention is given in FIG. 10. It is an adaptation of the material described in U.K. Pat. Specification No. 1,235,665 and consists mainly of a transparent support 83, made of a high polymer material on which are coated in succession: a positive layer 84, containing developing nuclei, an intermediate pigment layer and a negative silver chloride emulsion layer 86, containing hydroquinone as developing agent. After exposing such material to a source of actinic light and moistening it with an appropriate activator solution the silver salts at the exposed areas are reduced to silver in 'situ, while the non-exposed silver salts diffuse through the pigment layer towards the nuclei in the positive layer. Here, they are reduced to silver complexes, forming in this way a positive image, which is legible when looking at it through the back side of the transparent support. The pigment layer 85 in which titanium dioxide is present in a relatively large amount assures a sufficient contrast between the silver complexes, reduced on the nuclei, and the white background.

From the foregoing, it appears that many other embodiments may be derived from the above described invention. So, the apparatus may be adapted to practically any material sensitive to electromagnetic radiation yielding a direct or latent image upon reflex expo-- sure by irradiation at wavelengths to which it is sensitive, including thermographic materials and print-out photographic materials.

The photographic materials may be provided with a self-adhering layer, so that the processed strips adhere easily to other supports.

The apparatus may be completed with marking means so that each separate strip area carrying a not yet developed latent image is clearly marked.

1 claim:

1. In a portable reflex copying apparatus adapted to be moved across the surface of an original to be copied to reproduce at least a portion thereof, said apparatus comprising a housing adapted for placement on said original and providing in the lower side thereof an exposure zone through which a portion of said original is visible, means in said housing for holding a supply web of radiation-sensitive recording material and means in said housing for collecting such material after exposure, guiding means in said housing for guiding said web from said web supply holding means through said exposure zone to said collecting means, web-advancing means for advancing the thus guided web between said supply means and said collecting means through said roller means, at least one light source in said housing adjacent said exposure zone to reflexively expose the recording material passing therethrough to the underlylamp from an inoperative to an operative condition for exposure zone, said advancing means including roller means journaled in said housing to project externally from the lower side thereof for rotation by frictional contact with the surface of said original, said rotation the period of each said pulses.

2. A copying apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said triggering device comprises a wheel carrying magnetic strips, attracting one element of a contact to cause same to open and close periodically.

3. A copying apparatus as in claim 1, which is provided with a built-in processing station comprising an applicator soaked with processing liquid and which applies a layer of said processing liquid through a fibrous member extending over the entire width of the photosensitive material on processing.

4. A copying apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the photosensitive material is uniformly exposed to a fraction of its normal exposure ,,value prior to entering the exposure zone.

5. The copying apparatus of claim 1 wherein said triggering means includes means for varying the duration of said pulses.

6. The copying apparatus of claim 5 wherein said pulse duration varying means comprises a one-step multi-vibrator. 

1. In a portable reflex copying apparatus adapted to be moved across the surface of an original to be copied to reproduce at least a portion thereof, said apparatus comprising a housing adapted for placement on said original and providing in the lower side thereof an exposure zone through which a portion of said original is visible, means in said housing for holding a supply web of radiation-sensitive recording material and means in said housing for collecting such material after exposure, guiding means in said housing for guiding said web from said web supply holding means through said exposure zone to said collecting means, web-advancing means for advancing the thus guided web between said supply means and said collecting means through said exposure zone, said advancing means including roller means journaled in said housing to project externally from the lower side thereof for rotation by frictional contact with the surface of said original, said rotation being transmitted to said web to advance the same at a rate corresponding to the speed of rotation of said roller means, at least one light source in said housing adjacent said exposure zone to reflexively expose the recording material passing therethrough to the underlying portion of said original, in combination an improved exposure control means for said light comprising triggering means cooperating with said roller means and periodically activated upon rotation of said roller means througH successive equal predetermined arcs of rotation to generate electrical pulses, and lamp switching means responsive to said pulses to energize said lamp from an inoperative to an operative condition for the period of each said pulses.
 2. A copying apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said triggering device comprises a wheel carrying magnetic strips, attracting one element of a contact to cause same to open and close periodically.
 3. A copying apparatus as in claim 1, which is provided with a built-in processing station comprising an applicator soaked with processing liquid and which applies a layer of said processing liquid through a fibrous member extending over the entire width of the photosensitive material on processing.
 4. A copying apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the photosensitive material is uniformly exposed to a fraction of its normal exposure value prior to entering the exposure zone.
 5. The copying apparatus of claim 1 wherein said triggering means includes means for varying the duration of said pulses.
 6. The copying apparatus of claim 5 wherein said pulse duration varying means comprises a one-step multi-vibrator. 